Wan Hai Casualty Reaches UAE Port of Refuge After 13 Weeks at Sea

 

The containership Wan Hai 503 arrived on September 11 at the anchorage off the Jebel Ali port in the United Arab Emirates. The shipping company reports that the vessel has been granted approval by DP World and the Dubai Ports Authority to berth as a port of refuge, ending a long effort to find a port to accept the heavily fire-damaged hulk.

Wan Hai reported that a salvage team boarded the vessel when it reached the Gulf of Oman after a nearly 1,800 nautical mile tow from the position off India and Sri Lanka, where the vessel was held offshore after the fire began on June 9. They reported that the inspection team took measurements of the cargo holds and compartments, and that monitoring showed no signs of smoke or further container displacement. The assessments indicated that the vessel’s stability and structural integrity are secure, with no immediate risks identified.

The vessel is expected to undergo further inspections and complete the requirements of the authorities so that it can be berthed. Wan Hai reports that container inspection and unloading operations are expected to begin in October.

The fire began on June 9 while the vessel was 54 nautical miles off the west coast of India on a voyage from Sri Lanka. The ship was evacuated, with 18 crewmembers rescued and four reported as missing and presumed deceased from the explosions and fire aboard the vessel. The firefighting efforts continued for more than a month, and the cargo continued to smolder in one hold in particular well into August. 

Salvage teams had been able to board the vessel and had begun dewatering the engine room and other areas. Despite the reports that the vessel was stable, Indian officials rejected berthing the vessel and later ordered it to be towed from the Indian EEZ. Registered in Singapore, oversight of the incident was eventually handed over to Singapore’s Maritime & Ports Authority while the search for a port of refuge continued. The salvage team reportedly explored Sri Lanka as well as possibly towing the vessel east to Malaysia or Singapore before settling on the trip across the Arabian Sea to the UAE.

The last pictures of the vessel were in July after the fire was extinguished. Having started midship, the fire appeared to have destroyed boxes from the aft deckhouse forward to nearly the bow, with possibly a few on the bow not charred. A few boxes were loaded on the stern of the vessel and appear to have been shielded from the spread of the fire by the deck house.

Built in 2005, the 51,300-dwt vessel was loaded with approximately 1,750 TEU when the fire broke out. It was believed to have started in one of the holds. The authorities reported that 143 of the containers were listed on the manifest as containing hazardous materials. Reports indicated that between 10 and 15 containers were seen floating in the ocean, but most remained aboard and were incinerated in the fire. 

Wan Hai, in providing its update, also thanked the authorities, partners, and professional teams that assisted throughout the long effort.